Culture: French. Literature & Language Assignment.

Your Name
Subject and Section
Professor’s Name
April 5, 2020
Questions about Language
1. Outside of France, French can be the first language of the people of the country (or other geographical entity). In other cases, it is not anyone's first language but is a strong second language used in education and for official purposes. Comment on the status of French in the area of the world assigned to you.
The study of language is one of the most critical fields in the study of the world. Through this field, units of communication such as grammar, syntax, and vocabulary, among others, can give an idea about the history of the people, the current state of culture and society, as well as provide an insight to what kind of changes can happen in the future.
One example of how language can be used to understand the history and the current state of affairs is in the case of Martinique and Guadeloupe. Both of these Caribbean islands were geographically isolated from France, yet they use French as their official language and Creole as secondary. It is the primary language that the people speak as well as use in their institutions such as in governance, education, and even when communicating with the world. In fact, what suggests that French is the most influential language in both of these areas is that compared to other French-speaking countries, only a small population of the locals in both Martinique and Guadaloupe speak English.
Historically speaking, the dominance of the language throughout these areas is brought about by the arrival of Columbus back in the mid-1400s. Additionally, the relative isolation of these islands from other countries made it adopt the language as their own. Subsequently, however, the increase in globalization had created a 'hybrid' type of language, which is the Creole. Creole is considered as a hybrid language as it is created from a mix of other dominant languages that were localized and adapted to the place itself.
Based on the history of these places, as well as the development of the Creole, it shows that languages are substantially flexible and that understanding how these changes happened over time could give an insight into the history of the place itself.
2. What surprised and/or impressed you in learning about pidgins and creoles? What is the status of these languages, and where are they spoken? Why are they essential for lingu...